A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left.
Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Also declaring their support for Hazel today was NEC Member Peter Wheeler on his blog here.

To quote (and agree with) Peter:

"For me there is no decision to make. Hazel has my full support. She is a breath of fresh air, positive, dynamic, modern in outlook and rooted in the Labour community she was born in. Hazel will be a real asset as the Deputy Leader."

200,000 leave the party; 4 million voters desert us; millions of the so-called "core vote" are deeply disillusioned and desperate for change; at the last election, the party wins the smallest share of the vote for any winning party in the history of British democracy.

What's Hazel's solution?

More of the same, more of the same and, oh yes, more of the same.

How about this for a nightmare scenario: John Reid as PM and Hazel Blears as his deputy. If that happens, I'm going to follow the same example as the Labour party - commit suicide.

"John Reid as PM and Hazel Blears as his deputy. If that happens, I'm going to follow the same example as the Labour party - commit suicide."

Never have I heard a more compelling reason to vote Reid for leader and Hazel for deputy!

In terms of electoral suicide, if the vile John McDonnell gets elected, that is indeed what will happen.

Owen's hatred of Blears has more to do with the fact he's a sexist pig. Shocking really from someone who claims to be a socialist. Indeed, one might ask if there are any prominent women at all in the disgraceful John4Leader campaign?

Hey Sham, you comedy legend you. As regards female involvement in the John4Leader campaign, you might want to get in touch with Mary Partington who is coordinating Feminists4John. Personally, I'm proud to be supporting a candidate who is standing on an avowedly feminist platform.

You'll also note that two of the three published signatories on the pro-John4Leader letter in Saturday's Guardian were women. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of a poor argument.

Keep up the good work Sham - no-one on the left is as good at completely discrediting Blairites as you are.

The thought of Hazel "on top form" makes me want to be sick.A political Pollyanna who lives in a parallel universe and uses her working-class background as an excuse for the most right-wing rubbish you will hear in the Labour Party. Completely unrepentant on Iraq, a cheerleader for Blair ( apart from NHS policy which might cost her votes) and utterly nauseating. So is creepy Andy "let's privatise it" Burnham. Anyone But Hazel - please!

I think it's disgusting that Luke is supporting someone who so brazenly protests against government policy (on NHS restructuring). Such disloyalty is a sign of Trotskyism and should be punished as such.

I'm glad that Hazel has entered the race, as it will probably further split the Blairite vote.

When we're talking about the numbers of Iraqis who are happy to live in "democracy" now, do we include the 100s of thousands killed in the sectarian fighting and terrorist campaigns that all came in the aftermath of the invasion? Do we assume they preferred life before the invasion to their death under democracy, or is that a bit left-field?

Saddam was a bastard. Democracy is good. But Iraq has taught us an important and tragic lesson: bombing for democracy does not always work. If you don't care about the violence in Iraq today then you don't care about the humanitarianism upon which democracy is built, and you are more interested in having your head up Tony B's arse

In other words, Saddam's a bastard but my head's still firmly up his arse. I don't care about the Iraqis killed by him. Why should their opressor ever face justice?

In fact, those who brough this murderer to heel are the ones who should be up in court, for war crimes. How dare they have done what they did? I'm incandescent with rage at what they've done to Saddam Hussein.

And as for the killing currently taking place in Iraq, I won't blame the terrorists, I'll blame the liberators! Blair and Bush: you are to blame for Islamic extremists blowing themselves up and murdering innocent Iraqis.

Hazel's a great stalwart of the party, a key champion of party refom initatives and despite not being necessarily the most refined current affairs interview operator is actually very good on the campaign trail in front of Labour audiences. At a time when the party needs aspiration and enthusaism she'd be an excellent choice...

P.S. I'm slgihtly biased as I was at uni at Lancasterand always liked Hazel and Salford CLP to begin with.

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About Me

Labour Party activist since 1988 - firmly on the moderate wing of the party. Member of Labour’s NEC 2010-2012. National Secretary of Labour Students 1995-6. Parliamentary candidate for Aldershot (2001) and Castle Point (2005). Hackney Councillor (Chatham Ward) 2002-2014, Labour Group Chief Whip 2002-09, Chair of Health Scrutiny 2010-2014. Supporter of Europe, NATO/nuclear deterrence, Israel, electoral reform. Guardian reader. Dad. Oxford resident. Unite union member. Employment history as a Labour Party Organiser, Local Government Political Assistant, Director at a Public Affairs company. All views expressed in a personal capacity. The rest will become evident from reading the blog.